Fine article and ongoing thoughts...

Sorry there was no blog yesterday, but I'd a pal's Mum's funeral to attend and he then visited us last night, when we shared a beer or two and passed a convivial evening...

If you've not already done so, I would recommend reading Mark Eklid's excellent piece on the 20/20 in today's Derby Telegraph.

It pretty much sums up my thoughts on the competition. Cricket for the attention deficit generation if you will. All crash bang wallop without any of the finesse that the real cricket fan will appreciate. It is entertaining enough if you look past the rock n roll facade but cricket can be riveting without every ball going to or over the boundary.

Last week's episode with the "catch" left sour tastes in a good few mouths and the win at all costs mentality is not nice to see. He also refers to an unpleasant exchange between Graeme Swann and Wavell Hinds and I have had e mails from people who witnessed what was said. Suffice to say that where Eklid suggests the England player was fortunate not to get a bat wrapped around his head, I would go further. If the umpires hadn't forced him into an immediate apology I suspect his England career could have been in jeopardy. Not nice, not clever and not at all acceptable. I hope that the umpires mentioned it in their report.

Last night we lost our way again and the first five overs were again of paramount importance. Lancashire hammered us before we pulled them back well, but we again reached the half way stage with only five runs an over on the board.

It's simply not good enough. I think we either open with Hinds and Rogers, or we put someone like Tim Groenewald in to pinch hit like his erstwhile county companion Neil Carter has done so well over the years at Warwickshire. Last year Groenewald hit a lot of sixes and scored his runs quickly. Surely it's worth a try.

Alternatively we should move Stuart Law up the order or bring in Dan Birch to beef up the early overs. As written on 606 tonight, Law has been one of the world's top players for 20 years and it seems crazy to have him coming in at 5 or even 6 with five overs to go. I think we need to tweak the side a little, although again, there was plenty to admire. Maybe John Sadler could be given a crack up the order?

Tom Lungley is either brilliant or expensive with little in between. Maybe Ian Hunter could replace him for tomorrow's game, but the rest of the attack came back well after the Lancashire flyer.

For what it's worth, my team for tomorrow would be:

Rogers
Sadler
Law
Hinds
Smith
Park
Pipe
Wagg
Groenewald
Lawson
Hunter

Elsewhere, news that we have recruited 18 year old West Indian Chesney Hughes is encouraging. The tall youngster is apparently quite a talent as an opening batsman and slow left armer and scored a century for his island side at 15. He has been in fine form for Fleetwood in the league cricket there and full marks should go to John Morris for landing a youngster of obvious talent until 2011, by which time we should know just how good he is. I'd expect to see him in the Pro 40 later this season, especially if we lose a few matches early on. I'm not sure which is his stronger suit but we are short in the spin bowling department. Jake Needham seems to have fallen back a little, although Mark Lawson is improving steadily and seemed to bowl very well last night. A good slow left armer would be an asset to the side and if that player is also a batsman of talent it would be of great benefit.

I hope and expect us to beat Leicestershire tomorrow to go to the break at won three lost three. I would be disappointed - seriously disappointed - to see us lose to them and we should aim to do so convincingly and boost our net run rate in a group that looks increasingly as if it will go to the wire.